The invention relates to a silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistor for high frequency applications and to a method of fabricating the epitaxial individual layers of a silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistor for high frequency applications.
Aside from using gallium arsenide for fabricating super high frequency transistors, silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistors, because of their lower fabrication costs, have found increased use in high frequency areas. The sequence of layers in such transistors generally consists of a silicon collector layer, a base layer of p-doped silicon germanium, and an emitter layer.
German laid-open patent specification 43 01 333 A1 describes a method of fabricating integrated silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistors in which a collector layer, a base layer, an emitter layer and an emitter connection layer are precipitated and doped at the same time in a single uninterrupted process. This method of fabricating transistors for high frequency applications suffers from the drawback that a further increase in the doping of the base with doping atoms would lead to an outdiffusion, i.e. a broadening of the base region, at a corresponding temperature. Outdiffusion of dopants, on the one hand, results in a non-uniform fabrication of transistors and, on the other hand, in a reduction of collector and emitter currents. Accordingly, it is not possible by this method to improve the high frequency properties of transistors. Also, broadening of the doped regions limits a further reduction of the structure.
Japanese patent application JP 5,102,177 discloses a silicon-germanium hetero bipolar transistor wherein 5% of the lattice in the base layer has been dislocated by carbon in order to compensate for mechanical strain introduced by the germanium. However, such high carbon concentrations result in a strong local lattice deformation which limits the suitability of such transistors for high frequency applications.
Also, in IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 17, No. 7, July 1996, pp.334-337, as well as Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 60, No. 24, pp. 3033-3035, 1992 and Meter. Lett., Vol. 18, pp. 57-60, 1993, carbon is incorporated into the base for the purpose of attaining current compensation of germanium in silicon by carbon as well as a variation in the band gap. Optimum results were found at a carbon concentration of 5xc2x71020 cmxe2x88x923. Drawbacks similar to those of the above-mentioned JP 5,102,177 may be expected. In IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 17, No. 7, July 1996, pp. 334-337, large surface MESA transistors with emitter surfaces of 400 xcexcm2 (line width 20 xcexcm) were used to define static component properties. Such transistors with large emitter surfaces do not satisfy high frequency applications.
To fabricate SiGe transistors suitable for high frequency applications line widths less than 2 xcexcm are necessary as disclosed, for instance, in T. F. Meister: SiGe Base Bipolar Technology with 74 Ghz fmax and 11 ps Gate Delay; IEDM95-739.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,901 discloses a silicon carbide transistor in which silicon carbide is used as the material for the base, collector and emitter. The high fabrication temperatures prevent their integration into circuits suitable for high frequency applications.
It is a task of the invention to provide a silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistor suitable for high frequency applications in which the outdiffusion of dopant from the base region is reduced by more than 50% compared to conventional silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistors. It is a further task of the invention to structure known methods of fabricating the epitaxial individual layers of such silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistor suitable for high frequency applications with a silicon collector layer, a doped silicon germanium base layer and a silicon emitter layer so as to reduce the usual limitations and complex requirements of subsequent processes. This refers especially to the implantation dose and the temperature time stress of the epitaxial layer. Silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistors made by this method have a higher transitory frequency, an increased maximum oscillation frequency and/or a reduced noise level depending upon requirements and intended application.
Furthermore, it is a task of the invention by a point defect supported diffusion acceleration to prevent boron outdiffision from the silicon germanium layer, in order to attain HF properties without losses in a scaling range of a line width of 0.4 xcexcm or less. In this manner, similar transitory and maximum oscillation frequencies are to be attained compared to larger emitter surfaces.
In accordance with the invention these tasks are accomplished by the invention described hereinafter.
A monocrystalline structure according to a desired transistor profile is precipitated on a surface of pure silicon. In at least one of its three individual layers, i.e. its emitter layer or its base layer or its collector layer, the silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistor in accordance with the invention contains an additional material which is electrically inert, preferably an element from group IV, in a concentration between 1018 cmxe2x88x923 and 1021 cmxe2x88x923. The semiconductor arrangement of the silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistor is fabricated by an epitaxy process, e.g. by vapor phase epitaxy or molecular-beam epitaxy. The technological process steps following the epitaxy lead to defects, e.g. interstitial atoms in the semiconductor crystal, which enhance the diffusion of atoms foreign to the lattice, such as dopants. An electrically inactive material of the kind referred to and incorporated into the epitaxial layer links these defects and reduces the diffusion of the dopant. The relative alteration of the lattice constant caused by the incorporation of an electrically inert material, preferably carbon, is less than 5-10xe2x88x923. The outdiffusion of the dopant is reduced which limits broadening of the base region. This allows fabrication of transistors suitable for high frequency applications in two ways: The dopant dose of the base region is increased and/or the width of the base is reduced. Either way leads to an increase in the concentration of dopant in the base region of the transistor by between 5-1018 cmxe2x88x923 and 1021 cmxe2x88x923 if the dopant used is boron. This leads to a reduced resistance of the inner base. The invention proceeds on the basis of the conventional fabrication of a preprocessed silicon substrate. The method is characterized by the following process steps: Initially silicon is deposited by vapor deposition for fabricating the collector layer. Germanium is additionally incorporated during the following further silicon vapor deposition and is doped with lattice doping atoms. The preferred dopant used is boron. The base is fabricated by this process step. After discontinuing the addition of boron and the doping medium the emitter layer is fabricated by further vapor deposition of silicon.
During at least one of the mentioned process steps, an electrically inert material, preferably carbon, is added in a concentration of between 1018 cmxe2x88x923 and 1021 cmxe2x88x923, the relative change in the lattice constant thus introduced being less than 5xc2x710xe2x88x923 owing to the low concentration of the electrically inert material. A low additional lattice distortion does not imply an additional source of possible lattice defects. CVD (chemical vapor deposition) and MBE (molecular-beam epitaxy) processes are used to fabricate the epitaxial layers. Conventional further processing is carried out to complete the terminating steps in fabricating the silicon germanium hetero bipolar transistor in accordance with the invention, the product of the germanium concentration in the base layer and the thickness of the base layer from the collector to the emitter is between 50 atomic percent nm and 2,000 atomic percent nm. The thickness of the base layer from the collector to the emitter is between about 5 nm and 60 nm and, preferably, between 35 nm and 40 nm. The concentration of germanium in the base layer is between about 8% and 30% and, preferably, between 20% and 28%.
The elements of the invention have not only been set forth in the claims but also in the description and in the drawings, whereby individual elements constitute patentable inventions not only by themselves but also when combined as subeombinations, the protection of which is here being applied for. Embodiments of the invention have been depicted in the drawings and will be described in greater detail hereinafter.